


100 Days

by hiya_zelda (hiya_girlie)



Category: The Legend of Zelda & Related Fandoms, The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Depression, F/M, Implied Sexual Content, Married Life, Memory Loss, im back and this time im armed with a shaky grasp of how hospitals work, im very mean to zelda oops, tags to be added as story progresses
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-08-01
Updated: 2020-08-20
Packaged: 2021-03-01 20:41:46
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 9,123
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23743222
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/hiya_girlie/pseuds/hiya_zelda
Summary: Newly weds Link and Zelda Masterson are living a life of perfect bliss — until a car accident leaves Link stuck in an indefinite coma and Zelda an emotional mess.Time passes her by in a blur, and soon he’s awake, ready to get back on his feet. The only problem? He kind of forgot anything and everything about himself, and it doesn’t seem like his memory is coming back anytime soon...
Relationships: Link/Zelda (Legend of Zelda)
Comments: 14
Kudos: 121





	1. presents

Zelda tossed her purse onto the couch and flopped down beside it, lazily kicking off her heels and sending them flying across the living room. They bounced off the far wall before hitting the ground. 

She sighed, then went over to pick them up. This wasn’t her apartment anymore, it was her nice, new house, and she didn’t need it looking like a pigsty after only a few weeks of living in it. She grabbed one heel in each hand and put them in the shoe organizer next to a pair of ankle boots. She admired the neatness for a moment, feeling proud of how nice it looked, then strolled to her room to change.

Work today had been stressful, as usual. She’d been in a meeting all morning, taking notes while she listened to speakers ramble about sales and whatever else they thought was important. Half of it had gone right over her head, but she wrote it down anyway. It had been a bother to decipher her scribbled handwriting afterwards. After that meeting, she went to lunch with her father and they discussed the meeting, then she spent the afternoon making calls and arranging to meet with clients. Her head was still swimming with dates and times she needed to put on her calendar.

But now she was home, able to get out of her pencil skirt and blazer and put on something more comfortable. She shuffled through her dresser for a moment before finding what she wanted: her favorite pair of sweatpants and an old green shirt that was two sizes too big for her. The shirt wasn’t hers, but she liked it too much to give it back to Link, and he always joked she was the sexiest when she was wearing his clothes. 

She decided to keep her hair up in its bun and went to the bathroom to take off her makeup. A quick glance told her the room would need cleaning sometime soon, and she added it to her mental list. She didn’t have time for it today, but she had the weekend off so she could do it then.

Now in more comfortable clothes, Zelda went to the kitchen. She had to dig around in a drawer to find her mother’s old cookbook. She opened it and flipped through some pages to find the cake section. She wasn’t much of a baker, she rarely did any cooking, but this particular recipe was Link’s favorite, and he would appreciate it more than a store bought cake. 

Gathering up the ingredients, she set to work measuring and mixing. It took all her willpower not to eat all of the batter, but she let herself lick the spatula after pouring the batter into a pan. She slipped the pan in the oven, then began making the frosting. She had an hour or so until Link got home, and she had to have the cake made and decorated as well as his presents wrapped before then. 

She added a few drops of green food coloring to the frosting then put it aside. The presents were in the garage where she’d stashed them, and she brought them inside, putting them in a heap on the kitchen table. He had told her he didn’t need presents but she’d gotten them anyway, along with fancy gold wrapping paper. Her present wrapping skills were a bit rusty, however, and after wrestling with the paper and tape for a good ten minutes, she decided to bag it all instead. 

The timer on the oven went off and she pulled the cake out, the house filling with its rich scent. She beamed when she realized it wasn’t burnt. A personal accomplishment. 

It needed time to cool before she frosted it, so she wandered around the house and cleaned up here and there. Even though it was just the two of them, they still made quite a mess. She winced when she realized it was mostly her fault.

Her phone vibrated in her pocket and she smiled when she saw Link’s message.  _ I just left work, I’ll be home in a little bit :)  _

_ Sweet _ , she typed, leaning against the kitchen counter.  _ Drive safe, ok? No running red lights >:(  _

He didn’t need the reminder, it was an inside joke from the time he’d nearly run a red light taking her home after a date.

_ Yeah yeah. I’m not gonna get a ticket on my birthday. _

_ Good :) love you <3 _

_ Love you too <3 _

She set her phone on the counter, then started frosting the cake, occasionally putting a little on her finger to eat. It was a tad on the sweet side, but Link wouldn’t mind. For the finishing touch, she added sprinkles and the candles. Not too shabby, considering her lack of decorating talent.

Link would be home any minute now, judging from the time. Zelda quickly cleaned up the mess she’d made and wiped down the counters, then settled down on the couch with her phone to wait.

After twenty minutes of scrolling through her phone, she checked the time again. She knew rush hour traffic was a problem, especially since he worked downtown, but did it really take half an hour for him to get home? A few more minutes passed and she tried calling him. 

It went straight to voicemail, unsurprising since he never answered the phone while driving. She sent him a few texts, asking when he would be home, but didn’t get any responses. She wasn’t too worried about it, but when the clock hit 5:40 and he still wasn’t home yet, the anxiety kicked in. Maybe his phone died, she tried telling herself, maybe he stopped to pick something up, maybe he had to get gas.

The clock hit 5:50. Still no sign of Link, and no returned texts. She searched through her contacts for his mom’s number, then texted to ask if she’d heard from him. 

_ Sorry, I haven’t,  _ was her reply.  _ I called him this morning to wish him a happy birthday but haven’t talked to him since. Is everything alright? _

_ He’s not home yet, even though he texted me about an hour ago saying he was out of work. _

_ Hmm. I’ll let you know if I hear anything from him. Don’t worry, I’m sure it’s nothing. _

_ I hope so. Thanks. _

Each minute seemed to tick by slowly, sixty seconds feeling like an eternity. Where was he? Was his car having troubles? No, if that was the case he would have called or messaged her by now. He always texted to let her know if he was running late. The fact that he hadn’t was very worrying.

Her phone started ringing at 6:00. Zelda picked it up, hoping it would be Link. Her heart sank when it was an unknown number. She bit her lip as she answered.

“Hello, this is Zelda Masterson,” she said.

“Mrs. Masterson?” A feminine voice said on the other side. “Hi, this is Hyrule Central Hospital.”

Zelda felt a surge of panic. “What is it?” She asked, suddenly unable to keep her composure. If the hospital was calling, there was only one possibility.

The woman hesitated before replying. “I’m calling about your husband, Link. He was just involved in an accident.”

Her stomach dropped. 

Oh no.

——

Zelda left her house immediately, not bothering to put the cake away. A dry cake was the least of her worries right now. She started to pull out of the driveway before remembering she forgot to lock the front door, so after fumbling with her keys for a minute she locked it, then hurried back to her car. 

She should have changed into something a bit less casual than her old shirt and sweatpants while she was up, but she didn’t care what she looked like. She probably would have gone to the hospital in less if she had to.

The radio turned on and normally she would have listened to whatever was on, but the first song she heard was one she remembered singing along to with Link. She shut it off without hesitating, never taking her eyes off the road, and the car went silent. She needed to keep a clear head if she wanted to make it to the hospital without ending up in the same ER Link was currently in.

The drive to the hospital was long, too long for her jittery mind. It didn’t help that her hands were shaking very badly and she had to fight back the tears flooding her eyes. Finding out that Link had been in an accident had shaken her up more than she thought it would. She thought she would be better at handling unexpected things by now.

The nurse on the phone hadn’t given Zelda many details except an assurance that the doctors were working to stabilize his condition and a description of what had happened. From eye witness reports and traffic cameras, an intersection light had turned green for Link and he started to make a left turn when another car ran the red light and smashed into him from the right. 

Traffic immediately halted and soon the police and paramedics arrived at the scene to sort it out. Link and the other driver, a teenager, were rushed to the hospital. The teen driver was in the worst condition, and would be responsible for damages caused to Link and his car. 

At least the accident hadn’t been Link’s fault. There were a few times she’d driven with him that she’d been worried for her life, but his driving habits had improved significantly since they started dating. 

And though she felt guilty for thinking it, their insurance wouldn’t be the one paying for everything, so that was a plus.

Finally she pulled into the hospital parking lot. She gave herself a minute to breathe before getting out and briskly walking to the entrance. Her grip on her purse was so tight it turned her knuckles white.

She thought back to last year, when Link had visited her in this very hospital after she woke up from a surgery. Her appendix had ruptured, requiring an emergency removal, and he had been the first to visit her, along with her father. He brought a bouquet of her favorite flowers and stayed until visiting time ended, trying to cheer her up by telling her dumb jokes and exaggeratedly complaining about his coworkers. 

She choked back a sob. Why today, of all the days? He should have been able to come home without incident. He would have gotten home to cake and presents and her, he would have gotten frosting all over his face like he always does when he eats cake, he would have kissed her, tasting like cake and frosting. They would have stayed up late even though they both had work tomorrow. It would have been bliss. 

And it wasn’t.

No. Link wasn’t dying today. He would be okay. 

Zelda opened the door, entering the lobby. The hospital almost reminded her of her house, the way everything was neat and in its place. Then she rejected the thought. Her house was where happiness was, and she was feeling anything but happy as she approached the reception desk.

“Can I help you?” The receptionist asked politely. Her smile was too patient, and Zelda didn’t like it.

She took a deep breath. “Hi, I got a call my husband was in the ER.”

The receptionist typed something, then glanced back up at her, her smile becoming sympathetic. Zelda hated it more. “Mrs. Masterson?”

“Yes, that’s me.”

“I’ll let them know you’re here.” She gestured to the waiting area, its red chairs devoid of any other people. “If you could take a seat, someone will come get you shortly.”

“Thank you.”

Zelda retreated from the desk and found an open chair, gratefully sinking into it. She pulled out her phone and texted her father, restarting her text over and over again when her trembling fingers kept pressing the wrong keys.

_ Hey Dad, I just thought I should let you know I’m at the hospital right now, Link just got in an accident. I might need you to come get me, I drove over here but I don’t think I’ll be able to drive myself home. _

His reply was quick, and she read it in his voice, taking comfort in imagining his deep and reassuring voice.  _ I’ll be over as fast as I can, Zelda, I am so sorry. Have you let Kila and Harken know yet? _

_ No, but I’ll do that. I’m just waiting to see him right now. _

_ You should let Midna know too. She’ll want to see him. _

“Zelda!” A voice called, accompanied by the sound of heels clicking against the marble floor. Zelda looked up from her phone to see Midna hurrying through the hospital lobby. She was still in her black business suit, likely because she’d left work to come, and her orange hair was loose like a roaring bonfire. She had an uncharacteristically grim expression, and it made Zelda want to cry even more.

_ She just got here, actually,  _ Zelda texted.  _ Gotta go now, love you Dad. _

_ Love you too. Everything will be alright. _

“Zelda, I came as fast as I could,” Midna said, catching her breath then taking the seat next to her. “Have you seen him yet?”

Zelda shook her head and stopped bothering to hide her distress. “No, I just got here myself. How did you find out about it?”

“I’m one of his emergency contacts.” Midna set her bag down then reached out and pulled her into a hug. “Everything will be alright, okay? Link is tough, he’s not gonna let a stupid car crash kill him.”

Zelda swallowed, a few ugly tears sliding down her cheeks and onto Midna’s blouse. She was grateful Midna was here, she would not have been able to see Link alone without dying. “What if he’s not alright, Mid?” She whispered. “Lots of things can go wrong in car accidents.”

“Don’t think about that, Zel,” Midna said reassuringly, rubbing her back. “Take a deep breath.”

“Can you text his parents for me?” Zelda asked. She wiped her eyes on the hem of her shirt. “My dad is on his way, but they should be here too.”

“Of course. You just try and relax.”

Zelda tried to calm down, but each second she spent sitting in the lobby instead of seeing Link was a second she spent worrying that the news she’d receive when she finally saw him would just be worse.

Would she be leaving the hospital a widow?

“Mrs. Masterson?” A nurse called. Zelda finally let go of Midna, wincing at the wet stains on her friend’s shirt, and looked up. The nurse’s pristine scrubs seemed like a good sign, hopefully it meant that Link hadn’t bled all over the place. Unless the nurse hadn’t seen him yet and was just a messenger, and there were other doctors with blood stains on their scrubs and wow she really needed to stop that train of thinking. “I can take you to see your husband now, if you’re ready.”

Zelda hurriedly tried to make herself look decent, not like it mattered much. The nurse had probably seen worse. “Yes, please.”

The nurse offered Zelda the same sympathetic smile the receptionist had given her as she led them through the hospital hallways. Other people, patients, visitors, nurses, passed by, and Zelda wondered how many of them would understand the intensity of emotions she was feeling. A whirlwind of thoughts flew through her mind; everything from hope that things would be alright and that Link would make a full recovery to old memories of her mother in a hospital gown and knit cap, unable to move. 

A few times she nearly stopped walking, whether from anguish or dizziness she didn’t know, and because of that she was extremely grateful to have Midna by her side. The sound Midna’s heels made against the tiled floor, her firm grip on Zelda’s arm, and her soft murmurs of reassurance helped ground her. When Zelda kept shooting her worried glances, Midna took her hand and squeezed it. Link had been smart to put her as one of his emergency contacts. She trusted Midna with her life, and if she found out that Link was dead, Midna would catch her when she keeled over.

“The doctors have him stabilized,” the nurse said, breaking the silence. 

Zelda let out a choked sigh and actually sagged against Midna’s side, her legs wobbling. “Oh, thank god,” she murmured. 

“His vital signs are returning to normal and since he was wearing his seatbelt, he sustained minimal lasting injuries. He has a slight concussion, but nothing too serious, and thankfully the x-rays showed nothing unusual.”

Zelda let out a very shaky breath and nodded. That had been another worry of hers, that even if he was alive he’d be left paralyzed or similarly injured.

The nurse’s smile wavered. “But… there is something else,” she said hesitantly.

Zelda’s relief disappeared as quickly as it came, a tight knot taking its place and settling in her stomach. “What?”

“I don’t know much, so I’ll let the doctors tell you.”

Zelda exchanged looks with Midna, who seemed equally unsettled by the news. Any feelings of comfort Zelda had were gone, replaced by gnawing worry. What was wrong?

Finally they reached a plain looking grey door, labeled 315. The nurse raised a finger to her lips. “Please be quiet when we go in,” she said.

The nurse opened the door, and Zelda shot one last glance at Midna before they followed her in.

——

Zelda wasn’t prepared for what was waiting inside that door.

The room had a large window and its blinds were open, letting in natural light, but the sun was going down, dimming the room, and the bright artificial lights hanging overhead practically blinded her. It smelled unpleasantly like antiseptic and hand soap. She missed the smell of freshly baked cake back at her house, and tried to imagine how Link would have reacted to the cake. What she wouldn’t give to be there right now with him instead of here.

The doctors and nurses, six in total, huddled around the bed, blocking her view of Link. They looked up when Zelda and Midna entered, the whispering between them ceasing. One of the doctors, likely the senior doctor, handed his clipboard to a nurse and approached Zelda. He had a few wrinkles on his serious face and greying hair, and she had the impression she would be seeing a lot of him in the future.

“Mrs. Masterson, I’m Doctor Dorephan,” he said, holding out his hand to her. She shook it. “Your husband is stable right now, and he has no life threatening injuries.”

Zelda nodded, and he stepped aside, motioning for the other staff to do the same. They backed away from the bed, allowing her a clear look at her husband.

She stifled a gasp. Link was unconscious on the bed, wearing a blue hospital robe. His hair, usually immaculately combed for work, was a bird’s nest, the dirty blond locks strewn across his forehead and clumped together. He had crisp bandages on various places around his body, though the one on his cheek looked like it needed replacing. An IV was threaded in his left arm, attached to a sack of clear liquid hanging by the bedside, and he was hooked up to a breathing machine that covered half of his face. The heart rate monitor beeped and his chest was rising and falling steadily, which offered her a small amount of comfort.

“Oh, Link,” she whispered, moving to stand next to the bed. “Oh my god.”

She took his right hand in hers and squeezed it. Unsurprisingly he didn’t react, no matter how much she wanted him to. Her eyes went to his left hand and she felt a pang of heartache when she noticed he was missing his wedding ring. 

The absence of the familiar gold band overwhelmed her. She began to cry, ugly cry, wiping her stream of tears on any dry patch of fabric she could find on her shirt. This was real, too real.

The doctors and nurses gave her space, resuming their quiet chatter. She overheard them discuss medications and treatments, how long he would need to be hospitalized, and other things she was too exhausted to process. Midna came up and gave her a side hug, sensing her need for physical support. 

“Oh my god, it’s real, it really happened,” Zelda mumbled, her words barely coherent or audible over her weeping. Tears streamed ceaselessly down her face and splattered on the white bedsheets. She was glad she’d taken off her makeup earlier or her cheeks would be black by now. “He’s really, this is real, oh my god, oh my god, oh my god—“

“Hey, it’s alright,” Midna said, her voice soothing. “He’s alive, that’s what’s important.” She turned to Doctor Dorephan. “The nurse said there was something else you had to tell Zelda about him. What was it?”

Dorephan stiffened slightly, as if he didn’t want to say it out loud. He cleared his throat uncomfortably. “He’s in a coma,” he said. “And we don’t know when he’ll be awake.”

Zelda sucked in a breath, but when she opened her mouth to speak she just choked.

Midna gave the doctors a sharp glance. “What do you mean you don’t know when he’ll be awake?” She demanded. “Why the hell is he even in a coma? We were told he didn’t have any life threatening injuries!”

Dorephan grimaced. “We don’t know how it happened,” he said, shaking his head. “But we assume it’s related to the concussion he has, either that or it was just the force of the impact.”

Midna’s eyes narrowed and she opened her mouth to say something, likely bark something along the lines of “What do you fucking mean?” that generally wouldn’t be very helpful.

“Mid, please, it’s not their fault,” Zelda interrupted, shaking her head. Midna’s mouth promptly snapped shut, but that didn’t stop her from balling her fists and muttering under her breath.

Zelda looked at Link again. He looked so much like the Link that slept next to her at night and had his alarm ringtone as her saying “Wake up, sleepyhead!”. The Link that moved with so much energy and excitement, smiled with his whole body, loved with his whole soul. She angrily wiped away the hot tears still pooling in her eyes. Why did it feel like every bad thing that had ever happened to her was happening right now?

Midna turned back to Zelda, putting her arm around her. “If you don’t have anything else to tell us,” she said, turning to the doctors, “could you at least leave us alone so she can have some dignity?”

“Yes, of course, our apologies.” Dorephan gave a meaningful glance to the other staff, and they awkwardly shuffled out, sending apologetic looks to Zelda.

“Thanks, Mid,” Zelda said. God, she felt so exhausted.

Midna smiled, the impish nature of it releasing some of the tension in the room before it faltered and a few tears of her own spilled out. “Trust me,” she said, her voice cracking slightly as she reached up to brush the tears away, “that was purely selfish. I hate crying in front of strangers.”

Midna didn’t even flinch when Zelda buried her face into her shoulder, she even cried with her. Again, she was grateful for Midna; what other friend would let her sob into their nice clothes without complaint? 

“A coma?” Zelda mumbled. “God, Midna, why is he in a coma?”

Midna rubbed her back, the circular motions firm and soothing. Her tears had stopped. “I don’t know. But he’s alive.”

The heart rate monitor beeped in the background and Zelda stared at it, watching the green line spike up and down. Almost like a countdown. “Yeah,” she said softly. “He’s alive. But he’s not really alive, I mean…”

Midna squeezed her tighter, resting her chin on Zelda’s head. “He is alive, Zelda, and he is not dead. He will pull through this. You just need to be strong.”

“I know, I- I know.” Zelda bit her lip and let out a watery exhale. “I just, I don’t know. I’m so scared, Midna, I’m so scared.”

They stood together for a while, alone in the hospital room. Zelda closed her eyes and tried to picture Link’s smile, the way he flashed his front teeth and tilted his head to the side. It felt wrong to see him lying on the bed so emotionlessly; even when he slept his face was never impassive. She just wanted to see him smile again. 

From the little she knew about comas, it might be a few days, it could end up being a few years. She felt her heart twist at the thought; she could barely stand being away from him for a few hours while she went to work. Would she be able to last a few years without him without going insane? No, she told herself, don’t lose hope yet. There was still a chance he could wake up soon, no matter how small that chance was.

Someone knocked at the door. Zelda had been so lost in thought that the noise startled her and she jumped. Midna scowled, probably assuming it was the doctors with more bad news. “Come in,” she called, a hint of wariness and irritation in her voice.

Zelda brushed the tears out of her eyes as her father walked in and let out a relieved sigh. Like Midna, Daphnes had left work to rush over. His graying hair and beard were on the scruffy side and his eyes were clouded with concern, giving him a warmth that contrasted his sharp black business suit. He left the stern manner that made him a successful businessman at the door and immediately rushed to Zelda’s side, opening his arms and scooping her up in a crushing fatherly hug. He was a head taller than she was and it was like being cocooned by his arms.

“Dad,” she said weakly, “thanks for coming.”

He nodded, gently stroking her hair like her mother used to do. “Oh, my darling Zelda,” he said sadly. “What a terrible tragedy. I am so sorry.”

Zelda sniffled. She felt like a little girl again. “He’s in a coma, Dad,” she said miserably. “A coma.”

“The doctors said they don’t know when he’ll be awake,” Midna added bitterly.

Daphnes patted Zelda’s back, the touch gentle despite his large hands. He didn’t need to say anything to offer reassurance, his presence was enough to calm her down. He simply let Zelda cry into his shirt and wipe her nose on his tie, continuously patting her back and murmuring words of comfort.

“Are Kila and Harken on their way over?” He asked, glancing at Midna. 

She nodded. “Yeah, Kila texted me and said they’d be here soon.”

Zelda’s face broke out in a weak smile. Kila was like a second mother to her, Harken a second father. Having them there would be another comfort. “Do they know what happened?” She asked.

Midna nodded again. “She said a nurse called and explained the situation. Not sure if they know about the coma or not, though.”

Zelda tried to imagine what their expressions would be when they saw their son lying unconscious on the hospital bed. He was their only child and as such they shared an especially strong bond with him, staying close despite him being an adult. Would they be sorrowful, dismayed, devastated even?

“We’ll wait for them, then,” Daphnes decided. “What time do visiting hours end?”

“I think 7:30,” Midna said with a shrug. “Could be wrong though. I haven’t been here in a while.”

“Thanks.”

Zelda gave her dad another hug before pulling away. “Thanks for being here, Dad,” she said. “It means a lot to me.”

He kissed the crown of her head, making her smile. “For you, Zelda, anything.”

“Hey, Zel,” Midna said, grabbing her attention. She gestured to a bundle of items on the room’s counter. “There’s a pile of his things over here.”

Zelda walked over and poked through the pile. Link’s shirt and slacks were folded neatly, his shoes underneath, and his phone and keys on top. Things taken from his car were laid out as well, including several CDs and his backpack. She sighed in relief when she noticed a small plastic bag containing his wedding ring hidden in the pile. She pulled the gold band out of the bag and held it tightly. By some miracle it hadn’t been lost.

She turned on his phone, surprised to see it in one piece, and noticed the first notifications were her texts and unanswered calls. The accident must have occured before she sent them. Her frantic messages had been too late.

Midna opened the door when another person knocked, letting in Link’s parents. Kila looked like she had been crying, with two wet streaks trailing down the wrinkles in her cheeks, and Harken wore an equally concerned expression, the lines in his forehead prominent with his frown. They were dressed casually as though they had just been out for a walk.

They embraced Zelda, squishing her in between them. She marvelled at how collected they seemed, although a soft, shaky exhale from Kila told her that they were everything but unfazed. Zelda took Kila’s hand and gave it a firm squeeze, and Kila returned the gesture by placing her hand on Zelda’s cheek.

“Oh, Zelda, I am so sorry,” she said, softly stroking her cheek as they pulled apart. “You must be absolutely devastated.”

“I’m quite a mess, aren’t I?” Zelda replied with a weak laugh. “To be honest, I don’t think I’ve stopped crying since I got here.”

Kila spared a gentle laugh. “No one is blaming you, dear,” she said. “He is your husband.”

“He’s your son, too,” Zelda said. “If anything you’re feeling his absence more than I am.”

Kila shook her head. “Oh, I doubt that.” Her gray eyes pooled with more tears. She leaned against Harken, and with such tenderness he rubbed away the water from her cheeks. Sadness swelled inside Zelda at the sight; she wished Link was awake to wipe away her tears.

Kila and Harken moved over to Link’s bedside, exchanging long sighs as they studied their son. “He’s never been so quiet,” Kila murmured, taking Link’s hand and squeezing it. 

“We hope you know, Zelda,” Harken said solemnly, turning to look at Zelda, “that we’re here for you during this confusing time, and if there’s anything we can do for you, you just let us know and we’d be more than happy to offer our aid.”

Zelda nodded. “Thank you, that means a lot.”

Kila pulled Zelda in for another hug, and she sniffled into her shoulder, inhaling Kila’s faint perfume and letting the fragrance relax her. The hospital room fell to silence. Midna was the one to finally speak up

“We should get going,” she said, glancing at the clock. “Visiting hours end soon.”

The thought of leaving Link made Zelda tense up. She didn’t want to go home, not without him.

“Kila,” Daphnes started, putting his hands on Zelda’s shoulders as if sensing she would protest leaving, “would you be willing to take Zelda’s car and I’ll drive her?” 

Kila nodded understandingly. “Of course, she absolutely shouldn’t be driving.”

Zelda reluctantly handed her keys to Kila, then moved to collect Link’s things from the counter. His phone and ring she tucked into her purse, the rest she bundled into a ball and held against her chest.

“We’ll meet you back at your house, Zelda,” Harken said, giving her one last embrace before joining Kila at the door. “Be safe.”

“See you there.”

Kila and Harken left, followed by Midna, who gave Zelda a kiss on the forehead and promised to meet her at her house too. 

“Give me a minute, Dad,” Zelda said quietly. “I just… I’ll be out in a sec.”

Daphnes squeezed her hand. “Take all the time you need. I’ll wait outside for you.”

He closed the door behind him, leaving Zelda alone with Link. She said a silent prayer to the goddesses to watch over and protect him while he slept, then asked for comfort for herself. She wasn’t particularly religious, certainly not as devout as her mother had been, but she felt it was appropriate. She wouldn’t be able to get through these next days on her own.

Mustering up her strength, she brushed the hair out of his face and kissed his forehead. “I’ll be back, okay?” She whispered, biting back her tears. “Don’t die on me, Link. Please, don’t die.”

His ear twitched, and maybe it was her imagination desperate for some consolation, but she could have sworn he heard her. Finally she pulled herself away from his bed and left the hospital room, following her dad out to his car.


	2. it’s gonna be a long road

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> it’s been a long day, and it’ll be an even longer road to happiness.

Zelda sat in the passenger seat of her father’s car, staring out the window as they drove to her house. He had been to her house enough times that he didn’t need her help getting there, leaving her with plenty of time to think, which was starting to look like a bad thing.

She already missed Link, so much that everything reminded her of him. They drove past the Central Park, which had become a favorite date spot for the two of them, and she blinked back tears trying to ignore the gnawing worry that they would never get to go back to it together. Every restaurant that they had gone to together stood out against the city like sore thumbs, billboards broadcasting her heartache for the world to see. God, why did she feel so awful?

The last time she and Link had spoken face to face was that morning before she left for work. Had she really teased him about his driving skills minutes before he got in a wreck? Were her last words spoken to him really “I hope your coworkers don’t sing too obnoxiously”? Did that make her a bad wife? 

She thought about the cake, the presents, her perfect planning thrown out the window. She was going to throw the cake out when she got home. There was no way she would be able to eat it without throwing up, her stomach was a hurricane of emotions, and seeing it would only be painful. And the presents, she would put them back in the garage. Maybe she would bring them to the hospital when she visited him tomorrow. They were going to gather dust regardless of where they were anyway.

“Zelda,” Daphnes said, interrupting her thoughts, “I think you should take some time off then come back to work when you’re feeling better.”

Panic seized her. She absolutely did not want free time, she needed a distraction. “Dad, please,” she said, painfully aware of how weak her voice was, “I’ll go crazy if I don’t have something to take my mind off of this.”

“At least take the rest of the week off, alright?” He insisted. Out of the corner of her eye she saw him give her a concerned look, one that left no room to argue. “You have plenty of vacation days, and I’m sure the office will be quiet enough that your presence won’t be necessary.”

She paused, stubbornly scrounging for any excuse she could come up with. “But I have meetings to go to, clients to meet with, I-“

Daphnes shook his head. “I can have someone else take care of that, Zelda,” he said firmly. “I will do them myself if I must. Right now, you need a break more than you need work.” His eyes were knowing, and she remembered the time after her mother’s funeral. He hadn’t worn anything close to a business suit for months. “Believe me, it’s for the best.”

She leaned her head against the headrest with a sigh. He was right and she knew it. Her mind was still trying to process everything. If she went to work with a fresh, open wound like this, there was no telling what might happen to her. “Okay.”

“Thank you,” he said softly. The car was silent until he added, “Also, you should call Link’s boss and let her know what happened. But not tonight, that can wait until tomorrow.”

She got the feeling she would be making a lot of calls in the near future. Her stomach tightened. “Yeah.”

He nodded, and the car went quiet again. They turned onto her street and her house came into view. Her beautiful gray house that would be so empty and so quiet without Link. Kila had likely parked her car in the garage, but she recognized Midna’s black car on the right side of the driveway and Harken’s white car parked along the sidewalk. Midna, Kila, and Harken were standing on the front porch chatting and they looked up when Daphnes pulled into the driveway beside Midna’s car. 

Midna was beside Zelda in an instant, helping her carry Link’s things. Zelda nearly dropped her keys as she unlocked the front door with shaky hands and let everyone in. She half expected the house to be in shambles, but everything was exactly how it had been when she’d left for the hospital. The smell of fresh cake wafted faintly through the air. The presents were still where she’d left them on the couch. The cake was on the kitchen counter, candles depressingly dim. 

Seeing them, imagining Link’s adorable grin when he opened up the bags and the ring of frosting that would surely line his mouth when he had one or two or five slices of cake, Zelda started to cry again. Midna dragged her to the couch and plopped down next to her, opening her arms to her once more. Now that they were somewhere private she actually cried openly with Zelda, though not as intensely. 

Kila moved to the kitchen, wiping her own tears away. “Zelda, dear, have you eaten dinner yet?” She asked.

Zelda shook her head against Midna’s shoulder. “No,” she mumbled, “I was waiting for Link to get home.”

“Would it be alright if I fixed you up something real fast? Just something warm and nourishing.”

“That sounds wonderful, Kila, thank you. I appreciate it.”

Kila rolled up her sleeves and began rummaging through the kitchen. “Oh, Zelda,” she said, gesturing to the cake sitting on the counter, “did you want me to put this cake away? It looks too good to let it go to waste.”

Zelda almost said no. She’d never get around to eating it, but having it as a backup meant one less meal she’d have to cook for herself. “Just, just in the fridge is fine.”

The sound of sizzling quickly filled the house and occupied the silence. Zelda’s stomach settled down, not churning quite as much as it had back at the hospital. If Link hadn’t have gotten in the accident, they would likely be cuddled up on the couch right about now, talking about their days. He would have told her that his coworkers sang very obnoxiously and she would have tried to imitate them, then they would have laughed until they cried. She wished she was crying from laughing.

But most importantly, she just wished he was here with her.

Kila set a plate down in front of Zelda. “Try eating, dear.”

Zelda nodded her thanks, then began picking at the food. Link did most of the cooking for them, and he had learned most of what he knew about food from his mother. Kila’s cooking reminded Zelda of him, and she had to keep swallowing back her sadness while she ate.

Daphnes was the first to leave, apologizing profusely before driving away. Kila and Harken stayed for a while longer, trying to cheer Zelda up with memories of Link, but they left around 9 since they had to be up early for work the next day.

“I’m taking the day off tomorrow,” Midna said. She was at the sink, doing the dishes from dinner. Zelda had insisted that she didn’t have to, but Midna was firm. “Text me when you wake up and I’ll come over. I’ll bring all the stupid rom-coms I can find and we’ll binge watch them.”

Zelda cracked a small smile. “Thanks, Mid. Really, that means a lot to me.”

“Hell, I’ll stay the night if you want.”

“Yeah, that’d be nice. I don’t think I’ll be able to sleep much tonight anyway.”

Midna grinned. “It’s a deal. I’ll go home real fast to get some stuff then I’ll come back and we can have a pity party. It’ll be a blast.”

She finished the dishes, and left after giving Zelda a hug. Zelda watched her drive off, then moved to put away the presents. The house was eerily quiet, and the lack of noise unnerved her. Distractedly, she turned on the TV and flopped down on the couch. 

The news channel came on. She paid it no mind, letting her thoughts wander. Every time she wondered what she and Link would be doing if he was here, she started crying. At least he was alive, and the doctors had promised to call if anything changed. If he had died instead of falling into a coma, no doubt she’d been an even bigger mess.

She was so tired. She wanted to go to bed, fall asleep, and wake up from this nightmare with Link by her side. Oh, god, she was sleeping alone tonight, oh, that hurt, how much more could she take? She dragged herself off the couch so she could change, if she wore this shirt for another minute she might be sick. She gathered up Link’s things from the coffee table and took them with her.

She kept her eyes on the carpet while she walked to her room. Pictures with memories she didn’t want to think about were proudly displayed along the walls in color-coordinating frames. She knew them all by heart. When they went to the beach with her father, Link threw her into the water and laughed when she pulled him in with her; in the picture she was covered in sand and dripping wet and his hair was a disaster but they were grinning like idiots. Once they stayed up until three in the morning playing Monopoly with Midna and another friend and they were all so tired they couldn’t think straight and the tiniest thing made them howl with laughter; in that picture she and Link were caught in the middle of laughing, heads thrown back and eyes closed. 

Zelda tried to keep walking, but she stopped by the picture hanging next to her bedroom door. It had been taken at their wedding, a second after they said their vows and a second before they kissed for the first time as husband and wife. She was resplendent in her sleeveless wedding dress with her hair pinned up and curled, and Link was handsome in his white tuxedo, the same one his father had worn at his wedding. She read the caption underneath:  _ Link and Zelda Masterson, happily married July 21. _

Her stomach twisted, and she turned away, holding her stomach. Her heart pounded as she stumbled into her bedroom, slamming the door shut. She sank to the floor, the things in her arms falling to the ground. When her stomach threatened to empty itself, she pushed herself to her feet and walked to the bathroom. Maybe if she threw up she’d feel better.

She rested her head on the edge of the toilet bowl and waited. Her stomach calmed down, though she doubted she would be eating anything else tonight. She managed to change out of the green shirt without vomiting, then stepped over the mess of things on the floor and went back to the living room to wait for Midna.

——

Midna came back forty minutes later, no longer wearing her suit and carrying two bags, a large black bag and a smaller drawstring sack. She dropped the black one on the living room floor and it tipped over, DVD cases spilling out. 

“I pretty much emptied my shelf and stuffed it into this bag, so whatever I have is in there,” she said, picking through the cases. “I have everything from stupid rom-coms to horror to sci-fi, I might have some of my nieces’ shitty kids shows if that’s what you want. I think it’ll be enough to get us through tonight.” She grinned at her terrible joke.

Zelda sat on the ground and picked up a case.  _ Take Me Away.  _ “What’s this one about?”

“I can’t remember, actually.” Midna shrugged. “Doesn’t look half bad, you up for it?”

“Sure.”

“Great. Where’s your TV remote?”

Zelda dug through the couch cushions and pulled out the remote, then tossed it to Midna. “I’ll be right back,” she said. “I need to do something.”

“No worries. I’ll get it set up.”

Zelda left Midna in the living room and went to the garage to find an empty cardboard box. She walked through the hallways, taking the picture frames down and putting them in the box. The walls seemed as empty as her heart without the pictures, but having them up would be more pain than she could take right now. She hesitated to take down the wedding photo, her hands hovering over it.

“I got the movie set up, Zel!” Midna called, shaking her out of her stupor.

“Yeah, I’m coming. Give me a second.”

She set the picture in the box and closed it, hefting it. It was awkward and unbalanced and she lost her footing, the box clunking to the ground. Frames spilled out. The picture from the beach completely shattered, pieces of glass falling onto the carpet.

“Oh, damn it all, you have got to be kidding me,” she muttered, stuffing them back in the box. “I can’t do this right now.”

She cursed when her fingers brushed broken glass and pulled her hand back to examine it. A shard of broken glass cut the skin. She sucked on the finger and tried to be more careful putting the rest back. 

Midna appeared, looking worried. “What the hell was that?”

“I dropped the pictures,” Zelda replied tiredly. She was so tired. “I was trying to put them away and I dropped them. One shattered, and there’s glass on the floor. Be careful, I’m gonna go find the vacuum.”

“Are you bleeding?” Midna asked.

“It’s nothing. I’ll put a band-aid on it and it’ll be fine.”

“Is there any glass in the cut?”

“I don’t think so.”

Midna sighed. “Okay. You go get the vacuum, I’ll put these away. Where do you want them?”

“In the garage, if you could. There’s a shelf with some white bags on it, you can put them there.”

Midna hefted the box easily and disappeared down the hallway. Zelda opened the hallway closet and pulled out the vacuum, plugging it in. It rumbled to life, sucking up the glass shards with ease. Thank god Link had insisted they buy a vacuum when they first moved in. He would be upset if he saw her then, leaning against the hallway with the vacuum in one hand and her finger in her mouth. Oh, she was so tired.

She put away the vacuum, then went to the kitchen to find a band-aid. Did they even have any? She couldn’t remember the last time she bought them. It took her a few minutes to find them, tucked away in a small drawer underneath a pile of junk. The chibi cats on the band-aid lifted her spirits slightly and she quickly wrapped it around her bleeding finger.

She walked back to the living room and sat on the floor, the TV playing the repeating menu screen of the movie. It looked like your average everyday rom-com about a couple being set up by their siblings. Midna came back sans-box and took a seat on the couch. Neither mentioned the pictures.

“You ready to start this?” Midna asked. “The case said it was roughly two hours long.”

Zelda nodded, making no effort to get up. Midna hit a button on the remote and the movie started.

Zelda watched the movie half heartedly, although Midna seemed fully immersed in it. She kept shouting at the main character whenever she made a stupid choice and at one point almost threw the remote at the TV. When the main character and her love interest kissed halfway through the movie, Zelda got up from the floor and excused herself. She went to the bathroom, finally threw up, then went back without a word. After the second time, she got herself a glass of water to get the taste out of her mouth. Midna commented on it the third time it happened.

“Zelda, are you feeling alright?” She asked, pausing the movie. “You’re pale.”

Zelda sank to the floor, pulling her knees to her chest. “I probably just ate something my stomach didn’t agree with,” she said quietly. “I’m fine.”

“Don’t pretend like you weren’t just puking your guts up,” Midna said. She got off the couch and sat down next to Zelda, stretching her legs out in front of her. “I definitely heard puking.”

“Just press play. I’ll be fine.”

Midna’s eyes narrowed and she shook her head. “Zelda, it’s making you sick-“

“I need a distraction. Push play.”

Midna shook her head. “If you want a distraction, fine, I’ll put in something else, but you’re making yourself sick watching it!”

“Maybe if I’m sick, then I can forget the pounding in my head, or the aching in my chest!” Zelda snapped. She leaned her head against the couch and breathed. She needed to get through this sentence without breaking down. “I’d rather be throwing up than thinking about how much I miss him.”

Midna sighed, then put her arm around Zelda. “Sorry, I shouldn’t have snapped at you like that,” she said. “That was childish of me.”

“It’s okay, I’m just tired,” Zelda said. 

“You should try going to bed.”

Zelda rubbed her eyes. “Mid, the moment I walk into my room and see the bed I’m gonna lose it. I’m trying to avoid doing that.”

“I’ll get some blankets and you can sleep on the couch, then,” Midna offered, putting a hand on her shoulder. “But you should still sleep, you’ve had a long day.”

Midna got up and turned off the TV, then walked down the hallway to the guest bedroom. She returned with a bundle of blankets and pillows, which she dropped on the couch.

“I’ll sleep on the floor, but wake me up if you need anything, or if you just want to talk, okay?” She said. She pulled a blanket and pillow out of the pile and kicked away DVD cases to clear away room on the floor.

Zelda stood on shaky legs and flopped on the couch. Midna helped her get the blankets untangled and fluffed up the pillow, then tucked her in.

“Try to sleep, Zelda,” Midna said, giving her a smile. “And remember, I’m right here for you.”

“Thanks.” Zelda weakly returned the smile. “I’ll let you know if I need anything.”

“Kay. Sleep tight. And fair warning, I snore, so try to fall asleep before I do.”

“Don’t worry, I’m sure you don’t snore as loud as Link does.” Zelda said the words before she fully processed them, but when Midna paused, it clicked. 

Midna got up and hugged her as she cried. This time Zelda didn’t have to worry about ruining an expensive shirt so she bawled her eyes out, and when she thought she was done, there were always more tears to be shed. Midna rubbed her back and whispered reassurances, but Zelda couldn’t hear them. All she could think about was Link.

“God, I miss him so much, so fucking much,” she stammered, her words barely coherent but pouring out anyway. “He’s in the hospital, Mid, he’s fucking dying, and I- I just- it’s funny, I mean, not really funny, but ironic, you know, I told him when he left work, I told him, hey don’t run any red lights okay? And he said, don’t worry, I won’t, I’m not gonna get a ticket on my birthday, and he didn’t, he didn’t run a red light, but someone else did, and because of that he’s fucking—god, I can’t breathe— he’s laying in a hospital bed, with an oxygen tank and an IV the size of a fucking straw in his arm, I can’t-“ Somewhere in her rambling she started laughing, laughing at the irony of it all, and now the laughing wouldn’t stop. This was the kind of bizarre irony that happened in comedies, not in real life.

“Zelda, I can’t understand anything you’re saying,” Midna said, “but if you need to get it out, get it out.”

“I made a goddamn cake, you know I’m shit at baking, but I made a whole damn cake without burning it, the house smelled so good I almost ate it without him, and I frosted it and finally used those shitty sprinkles I bought a while ago, and I tried to wrap the presents, and I ended up with a mess of tape and paper and decided fuck it, so I bagged them and- and- and- I miss him so much, he should have been able to come home and eat his cake and open his presents, he should be here right now, not laying in some fucking hospital bed on the brink of death-“ She took a deep breath, looking miserably at Midna, and tried to finish, but her voice gave out.

Zelda thought she had been done crying at the hospital, but it turned out she was just warming up, and within minutes she made two very large wet spots on Midna’s shirt. She wiped away tears with her sleeves until they started streaking across her face instead of drying up, and she clung to Midna when she tried to get up to get her tissues. If she had felt any embarrassment sobbing like a baby at the hospital, it was long gone now, replaced by the miniscule amount of comfort she got from crying. 

Slowly, she cried herself to sleep, her tear streaked face still buried in Midna’s shoulder while she drifted fitfully into unconsciousness.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Apologies for the long wait, got sidetracked with other story ideas and such, and I’ve been really active on my Instagram account. Anyway.
> 
> As always thanks for reading! Your comments make my day (*´꒳`*)

**Author's Note:**

> hi im back after a month and a half lol
> 
> as much as i wanted to abandon this fic, i decided to give it another shot and breathe some new life into it. so we starting back from chapter one, and a lot is changing lol. 
> 
> updates will be... erratic at best. but this time we will have an actual plot that isnt just zelda being sad for fifteen chapters in a row lmao
> 
> thank you for reading and i hope you enjoy the changes :)


End file.
